A Shave and a Haircut

If you haven’t figured it out by now, some of my favorite people to write about are the guests who frequent the day shelter for homeless men where I work. On a daily basis, I am witness to the triumph of the human spirit, sincere gratitude, and acts of kindness, both big and small, that coexist with their daily struggles to navigate the streets that they call home and the system that is supposed to help them, but sometimes hinders them. It is a world that few people ever see, but I hope that the stories I share make the people in this particular world more visible, as they so deserve to be both seen and heard. With that, I share with you the story of DeShawn.

DeShawn is a young man in our permanent supportive housing program, and he has a strength and wisdom that defy his years. He…